Buenos Aires Metro
Encyclopedia
The Buenos Aires Metro locally known as Subte (ˈsuβte, from subterráneo – 'underground' or 'subterranean') is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires
, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in South America
, the Southern Hemisphere
and the entire Spanish-speaking world. It is one of the busiest metro systems in the world.
The network expanded rapidly during the early decades of the 20th century, but the pace of expansion fell sharply after the Second World War. In the late 1990s expansion resumed, with the planning of four new lines. However, the rate of expansion is largely exceeded by the transportation needs of the city and once again the network has become overcrowded.
At present, Buenos Aires
is the only Argentine city with a metro system
, but there is a project to build an underground system in the city of Córdoba
(Córdoba Metro
).
Discussions on the need to build an underground transportation system in Buenos Aires began in the late nineteenth century, alongside the tramway system
. They operated from 1870 and in about 1900 were in a crisis exacerbated by the monopolization of the companies, a process initiated against the electrification
of the system.
In this context, the first proposals for the building of an underground system were made, along with requests for government grants: first, in 1886, and several more in 1889, but the Ministry of Interior (Ministerio del Interior, in Spanish) denied the city administration the power to license building in the subsoil
of the City. For this reason, subsequent drafts were submitted directly to this ministry.
When in 1894 it was decided to construct the Congress
building in its present location, the subway idea was revived, as it might shorten the travel time between the Casa Rosada
and the Congress (with the same purpose there were also plans to build an electric aerial tramway
to go down the Avenida de Mayo
). Miguel Cané, former Mayor of Buenos Aires (1892–1893), also expressed in 1896 the need to build an underground railway similar to the one in London.
But the various projects failed to raise capital due, according to Miguel Cané, "the reluctance of the English to provide the necessary funds for the construction".
The first subway line was opened on 1 December 1913 and was built by the Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company (Compañía de Tranvías Anglo-Argentina (CTAA), in Spanish) , which had been given permission to build in 1909. That line was made up of one of the existing sections of line A, linking the stations of Plaza de Mayo
and Plaza Miserere
. On 1 April 1914 the line was expand to Río de Janeiro
station and on 1 July was extended to Primera Junta
Station.
In 1912 the company Lacroze Hermanos won a concession to build another subway line. This line is the current line B and was inaugurated on 17 October 1930. In 1933 the Hispano-Argentina Society of Public Works and Finance (Hispano–Argentina de Obras Públicas y Finanzas (CHADOPYF), in Spanish) began construction of the other subway lines.
The entire network was centralised and nationalised during the late 1930s under the management of the Transport Corporation of Buenos Aires (CTBA), which in 1952 was absorbed by the Buenos Aires Transport General Administration (AGTBA).
In 1963, the administration was dissolved and the subway network became the property of the Subterráneos de Buenos Aires (SBA) company (later SBASE). In 1994 the service was privatised
and is now managed by Metrovías
S.A. with the stations remaining the property of SBASE.
The network comprises six underground lines, labelled "A" to "E" and "H" and which are further identified by different colours, covering a total track length of 52 km. There is also one surface PreMetro E2
light rail
line. Daily ridership is 1.7 million and on the increase. With the current usage patterns, the entire system is overstretched, and during weekdays overcrowded and with insufficient services. An expansion program is planned, and it is expected to enlarge the network to 97 km by 2011.
Fares are cheap (ARS
1.10 (around USD 0.29) and are in fact cheaper than the city buses. While tokens have been used in the past, at present, riders purchase either single-use or multi-use cards (called SubtePass) with a magnetic strip or use Contactless
cards called Monedero which can be rechargeable with cash or linked to a bank account for automatic debit. Trains run from 5:00 until 22:45, every 3–6 minutes, depending on the line considered.
Line B is being extended underground further west (2 km) from Los Incas to Echeverría and Juan Manuel de Rosas where transfer to the Ferrocarril Mitre will be provided.
Line E extension from Bolívar to Retiro (2 intermediate station C.Central and Catalinas) started mid-2007.
Line H construction on the section Caseros – Hospitales began in early 2006.
The new lines will mean that more than two million citizens of Buenos Aires, or about 70% of the city's population will live within 400m of a metro station. The new lines will be distributed over 56 new stations.
Line F will run from Barracas to Plaza Italia and will include 16 new stations. The planned route length of this line is 10.8 km.
Line G will connect Retiro and Villa Park; 12.5 km long with 15 new stations. Construction is expected to start in 2012.
Line I will run Parque Chacabuco to Ciudad Universitaria with 18 new stations. The route length is 12.6 km.
The Buenos Aires Metro has historically been characterized by murals and other artistic works in its stations, making a kind of museum throughout the system. These works, and a number of complete stations, are considered part of the cultural heritage of the city and several of them were declared National Historic Landmarks in 1997.
Line A is world-famous because it still keeps its rolling stock
running, making them the oldest subway coaches in commercial service in the world. They were built by La Brugeoise, et Nicaise et Delcuve, a Belgian rolling stock manufacturer established in the city of Bruges
, between 1913 and 1919. Entirely made of wood, they were originally designed to run as subway as well as tramway cars, but they were adapted in 1927 to their current styling for underground service only. Since the 1940s, several plans have been made to replace them with newer rolling stock, but none of them has succeeded.
, Molina Campos, Raúl Soldi
, Rodolfo Medina and Jorge Schwarz. In addition they provide spaces for music and theater events.
Line B
Line C
Line D
Line H:
. The film is based upon the short story, "A Subway Named Möbius" that takes place in the Boston Subway
.
The PreMetro line E2 is a light rail system feeding the line E of the Buenos Aires Metro.
Línea Urquiza (in English: Urquiza Line) is a 25.5 km (16 mi) suburban electric commuter line originally designed to be part of the subway system, and operated by the subway operator Metrovías
, in Buenos Aires
, Argentina. It runs from the Federico Lacroze terminus
in the barrio
of Chacarita
, to General Lemos terminus, Campo de Mayo
in Greater Buenos Aires
. The line is completely at grade (ground-level) and uses third rail current collection and, at present, is used by an average of 75,400 passengers daily and operates 20 hours a day, 7 days a week at 8 to 30 minute intervals.
In earlier times the line was planned to run into the centre of Buenos Aires through a long tunnel. But when the tunnel was finally built in 1930, it ended up as the B line subway, so that suburban passengers had to change at Federico Lacroze, named after its builder, about 6 km (3.7 mi) from the centre.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
and the entire Spanish-speaking world. It is one of the busiest metro systems in the world.
The network expanded rapidly during the early decades of the 20th century, but the pace of expansion fell sharply after the Second World War. In the late 1990s expansion resumed, with the planning of four new lines. However, the rate of expansion is largely exceeded by the transportation needs of the city and once again the network has become overcrowded.
At present, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
is the only Argentine city with a metro system
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
, but there is a project to build an underground system in the city of Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
(Córdoba Metro
Córdoba Metro
The Córdoba Metro is a project that will, according to its proponents, serve the Argentine city of Córdoba through a metro network. The metro system would become the second in Argentina along with the Buenos Aires Metro.-Overview of system:...
).
History
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
. They operated from 1870 and in about 1900 were in a crisis exacerbated by the monopolization of the companies, a process initiated against the electrification
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
of the system.
In this context, the first proposals for the building of an underground system were made, along with requests for government grants: first, in 1886, and several more in 1889, but the Ministry of Interior (Ministerio del Interior, in Spanish) denied the city administration the power to license building in the subsoil
Subsoil
Subsoil, or substrata, is the layer of soil under the topsoil on the surface of the ground. The subsoil may include substances such as clay and/or sand that has only been partially broken down by air, sunlight, water, wind etc., to produce true soil...
of the City. For this reason, subsequent drafts were submitted directly to this ministry.
When in 1894 it was decided to construct the Congress
Argentine National Congress
The Congress of the Argentine Nation is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies....
building in its present location, the subway idea was revived, as it might shorten the travel time between the Casa Rosada
Casa Rosada
La Casa Rosada is the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina, and of the offices of the President. The President normally lives at the Quinta de Olivos, a compound in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province. Its characteristic color is pink, and is considered one of the most...
and the Congress (with the same purpose there were also plans to build an electric aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
to go down the Avenida de Mayo
Avenida de Mayo
Avenida de Mayo , is an avenue in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. It connects the Plaza de Mayo with Congressional Plaza, and extends in a west-east direction before merging into Avenida Rivadavia.-History and overview:...
). Miguel Cané, former Mayor of Buenos Aires (1892–1893), also expressed in 1896 the need to build an underground railway similar to the one in London.
But the various projects failed to raise capital due, according to Miguel Cané, "the reluctance of the English to provide the necessary funds for the construction".
The first subway line was opened on 1 December 1913 and was built by the Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company (Compañía de Tranvías Anglo-Argentina (CTAA), in Spanish) , which had been given permission to build in 1909. That line was made up of one of the existing sections of line A, linking the stations of Plaza de Mayo
Plaza de Mayo (Buenos Aires Metro)
Plaza de Mayo is a station on Line A of the Buenos Aires Metro. This station belonged to the first section of line opened on 1 December 1913, linking the station with the station of Plaza Miserere....
and Plaza Miserere
Plaza Miserere (Buenos Aires Metro)
Plaza Miserere is a station on Line A of the Buenos Aires Metro . The station is located between Alberti and Loria / Pasco stations on the A line metro....
. On 1 April 1914 the line was expand to Río de Janeiro
Río de Janeiro (Buenos Aires Metro)
Rio de Janeiro is a station on Line A of the Buenos Aires Metro....
station and on 1 July was extended to Primera Junta
Primera Junta (Buenos Aires Metro)
Primera Junta is a station on Line A of the Buenos Aires Metro. It lies at the intersection of Rivadavia Avenue and Del Barco Centenera street, in the neighborhood of Caballito...
Station.
In 1912 the company Lacroze Hermanos won a concession to build another subway line. This line is the current line B and was inaugurated on 17 October 1930. In 1933 the Hispano-Argentina Society of Public Works and Finance (Hispano–Argentina de Obras Públicas y Finanzas (CHADOPYF), in Spanish) began construction of the other subway lines.
The entire network was centralised and nationalised during the late 1930s under the management of the Transport Corporation of Buenos Aires (CTBA), which in 1952 was absorbed by the Buenos Aires Transport General Administration (AGTBA).
In 1963, the administration was dissolved and the subway network became the property of the Subterráneos de Buenos Aires (SBA) company (later SBASE). In 1994 the service was privatised
Railway Privatisation in Argentina
Following a prolonged period of hyperinflation in the 1980s, accompanied by a steep increase in fiscal deficit and a sharp fall in reserves, the Argentine government, under the presidency of Carlos Menem from 1989, initiated a series of neoliberal reforms which included the privatisation of...
and is now managed by Metrovías
Metrovías
Metrovías S.A. is a privately owned company which, on 1 January 1994, took over the concession, granted by the Argentine government as part of railway privatisation during the presidency of Carlos Menem, for the operation of the standard gauge Urquiza Line commuter rail service in Buenos Aires,...
S.A. with the stations remaining the property of SBASE.
Timeline
| Date | Opening(s) | Closure |
|---|---|---|
| 1913-12-01 | Plaza de Mayo – Plaza Miserere | |
| 1914-04-01 | Plaza Miserere – Río de Janeiro | |
| 1914-07-01 | Río de Janeiro – Primera Junta | |
| 1930-10-17 | Federico Lacroze – Callao | |
| 1931-07-22 | Callao – Pellegrini | |
| 1931-12 | Pellegrini – L.N.Alem | |
| 1934-11-09 | Constitución – Diagonal Norte | |
| 1936-02-06 | Diagonal Norte – Retiro | |
| 1937-06-03 | Catedral – Tribunales | |
| 1940-02-23 | Tribunales – Palermo | |
| 1944-06-20 | San José – General Urquiza | |
| 1944-12-16 | General Urquiza – Boedo (old) | |
| 1960-12-09 | General Urquiza – Boedo (current) | General Urquiza – Boedo (old) |
| 1966-04-24 | Boedo (current) – Av. La Plata San José – Bolívar |
|
| 1973-06-23 | Av. La Plata – José María Moreno | |
| 1985-10-07 | José María Moreno – Emilio Mitre | |
| 1985-10-31 | Emilio Mitre – Medalla Milagrosa | |
| 1985-11-27 | Medalla Milagrosa – Varela | |
| 1986-05-08 | Varela – Plaza de los Virreyes | |
| 1987-12-29 | Palermo – Ministro Carranza | |
| 1997-05-31 | Ministro Carranza – José Hernandéz | |
| 1999-06-21 | José Hernandéz – Juramento | |
| 2000-04-27 | Juramento – Congreso de Tucumán | |
| 2003-08-09 | Federico Lacroze – Los Incas | |
| 2007-10-18 | Once – Caseros | |
| 2008-12-23 | Primera Junta – Carabobo | |
| 2010-12-06 | Once – Corrientes | |
| 2011-10-04 | Caseros – Parque Patricios |
Current Network
PreMetro E2 (Buenos Aires)
PreMetroThe PreMetro or Line E2 is a tram line that connects with the Buenos Aires Metro line E, at Plaza de los Virreyes station and runs to General Savio and Centro Cívico. It is operated by Metrovías....
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line. Daily ridership is 1.7 million and on the increase. With the current usage patterns, the entire system is overstretched, and during weekdays overcrowded and with insufficient services. An expansion program is planned, and it is expected to enlarge the network to 97 km by 2011.
Fares are cheap (ARS
Argentine peso
The peso is the currency of Argentina, identified by the symbol $ preceding the amount in the same way as many countries using dollar currencies. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. Its ISO 4217 code is ARS...
1.10 (around USD 0.29) and are in fact cheaper than the city buses. While tokens have been used in the past, at present, riders purchase either single-use or multi-use cards (called SubtePass) with a magnetic strip or use Contactless
Contactless
Contactless may refer to:* Contactless smart card* Proximity card, a contactless integrated circuit device used for security access or payment systems* Contactless payment, systems which use RFID for making secure payments...
cards called Monedero which can be rechargeable with cash or linked to a bank account for automatic debit. Trains run from 5:00 until 22:45, every 3–6 minutes, depending on the line considered.
| Line | Colour | Date opening | Original path | Current termini | Length /km | Number of stations | Daily passengers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line A | Light Blue | 1913 | Plaza de Mayo-Plaza Miserere | Plaza de Mayo-Carabobo | 8.5 | 16 | 190,000 | |||
| Line B | Red | 1930 | Federico Lacroze-Callao | L. N. Alem-de Los Incas/Parque Chas | 10.2 | 15 | 345,000 | |||
| Line C | Blue | 1934 | Plaza Constitución-Diagonal Norte | Plaza Constitución-Retiro | 4.5 | 9 | 278,000 | |||
| Line D | Green | 1937 | Catedral-Tribunales | Catedral-Congreso de Tucumán | 11.0 | 16 | 385,000 | |||
| Line E | Purple | 1944 | Plaza Constitución-Gral. Urquiza | Plaza de los Virreyes-Bolívar | 9.6 | 15 | 104,000 | |||
| Line F* | Maroon | No official opening date | Plaza Constitución-Plaza Italia** | * | 8.6** | 13** | * | |||
| Line G* | Dark Orange | No official opening date | Retiro-Cid Campeador** | * | 7.3** | 11** | * | |||
| Line H | Yellow | 2007 | Once-Caseros | Corrientes-Parque Patricios | 3.4 | 6 | 10,000 | |||
| Line I* | Orange | No official opening date | Plaza Italia-Parque Chacabuco** | * | 6.6** | 9** | * | |||
| * Planned lines ** Law 670 - Anex I. |
||||||||||
Stations and connections
Stations are listed from East to West or North to South. Stations in gray have yet to open. Stations in bold are the current termini.Expansion plans
There are several projects to improve connections.Works in progress
Line A is under construction towards the west from Carabobo: 2 km with 2 stations: San José de Flores, San Pedrito (previously Nazca) (2010).Line B is being extended underground further west (2 km) from Los Incas to Echeverría and Juan Manuel de Rosas where transfer to the Ferrocarril Mitre will be provided.
Line E extension from Bolívar to Retiro (2 intermediate station C.Central and Catalinas) started mid-2007.
Line H construction on the section Caseros – Hospitales began in early 2006.
Medium-term projects
Northern section connecting Corrientes to Retiro, has seven stations and is 3.8 km long.New lines planned
The future expansion is based on the program Plan of New Lines: , and , whose routes are already approved by the Legislature of the City. 39.3 km km will be added to the network, expanding it to about 97 km in total length and provide several stations with various interchanges and include north-south routes to create an appropriate network to avoid the city centre.The new lines will mean that more than two million citizens of Buenos Aires, or about 70% of the city's population will live within 400m of a metro station. The new lines will be distributed over 56 new stations.
Line F will run from Barracas to Plaza Italia and will include 16 new stations. The planned route length of this line is 10.8 km.
Line G will connect Retiro and Villa Park; 12.5 km long with 15 new stations. Construction is expected to start in 2012.
Line I will run Parque Chacabuco to Ciudad Universitaria with 18 new stations. The route length is 12.6 km.
Cultural Heritage
Line A is world-famous because it still keeps its rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
running, making them the oldest subway coaches in commercial service in the world. They were built by La Brugeoise, et Nicaise et Delcuve, a Belgian rolling stock manufacturer established in the city of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, between 1913 and 1919. Entirely made of wood, they were originally designed to run as subway as well as tramway cars, but they were adapted in 1927 to their current styling for underground service only. Since the 1940s, several plans have been made to replace them with newer rolling stock, but none of them has succeeded.
Cultural stations
Many stations are decorated with intricate ceramic tile work, some of it dating back to 1913 when the subway first opened for business. Featured artists include painters and reproductions by QuinoQuino
Joaquín Salvador Lavado, better known by his pen name Quino is an Argentine cartoonist. His comic strip Mafalda is very popular in Latin America and many parts of Europe.-Early life and work:...
, Molina Campos, Raúl Soldi
Raúl Soldi
Raúl Soldi was an Argentine painter whose work treated various subjects, including landscapes, portraits, the theater and the circus, and nature. His theatrical figures are renowned for their melancholy appearance...
, Rodolfo Medina and Jorge Schwarz. In addition they provide spaces for music and theater events.
Line B
- Tronador: In this station there are 18 stained glasses that refer to the history of the Villa OrtúzarVilla OrtúzarVilla Ortúzar is one of the neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires. Its limits are La Pampa St., Forest Ave., Elcano Ave., Ferrocarril General Urquiza railroads, Del Campo Ave., Combatientes de Malvinas Ave. and Triunvirato Ave....
neighbourhood, were the station is located. - De los Incas – Parque Chas: In this station there are 16 murals related with different Pre-Columbian eraPre-Columbian eraThe pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
civilizations are exhibited.
Line C
- San Juan:
- Diagonal Norte: Landscapes of Spain. Ceramic murals that correspond to Burgos, Madrid, Aranjuez, El Escorial and Madrid (Alcalá Door) on South platform, and Avila, Toledo, Soria and Segovia on the North Platform. The drafts were made by Martín S. Noel and Manuel Escasany in 1934.
- General San Martín: Photographic reproductions of the Museo de la Ciudad (City Museum) activities, photographic reproductions and images of the Plaza San MartínPlaza San Martín (Buenos Aires)Plaza San Martín is a park located in the Retiro neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Situated at the northern end of pedestrianized Florida Street, the park is bounded by Libertador Ave. , Maipú St. , Santa Fe Avenue , and Leandro Alem Av....
(San Martín Park) and photographic reproductions of streets and building of the South zone of the City. - Congreso de Tucumán:
Line D
- Juramento: There are a series of murals exposed in this station that had been reproduced in ceramic by Raúl and Daniel De Francisco.
- José Hernández: This station has ceramic reproductions of 4 murals made by Raúl SoldiRaúl SoldiRaúl Soldi was an Argentine painter whose work treated various subjects, including landscapes, portraits, the theater and the circus, and nature. His theatrical figures are renowned for their melancholy appearance...
. - Olleros: In this station there are showcases exposing works made in the Ceramic School No. 1
Line H:
- Many Hermenegildo SábatHermenegildo Sábat-Early career in journalism:Hermenegildo Sábat was born in the oceanfront Pocitos section of Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1933. Named after a grandparent who had been a noted local artist in his day, Hermenegildo was known as "Menchi," from early childhood...
mural reproductions related to tangoTango musicTango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
in all stations.
In popular culture
The subway is featured in the 1996 science fiction film Moebius directed by Gustavo Mosquera. In the film, the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a metro train are investigated by a topologistTopology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
. The film is based upon the short story, "A Subway Named Möbius" that takes place in the Boston Subway
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
.
PreMetro light rail
- Main article: PreMetroPreMetro E2 (Buenos Aires)PreMetroThe PreMetro or Line E2 is a tram line that connects with the Buenos Aires Metro line E, at Plaza de los Virreyes station and runs to General Savio and Centro Cívico. It is operated by Metrovías....
The PreMetro line E2 is a light rail system feeding the line E of the Buenos Aires Metro.
Urquiza Line
- Main article: Urquiza Line
Línea Urquiza (in English: Urquiza Line) is a 25.5 km (16 mi) suburban electric commuter line originally designed to be part of the subway system, and operated by the subway operator Metrovías
Metrovías
Metrovías S.A. is a privately owned company which, on 1 January 1994, took over the concession, granted by the Argentine government as part of railway privatisation during the presidency of Carlos Menem, for the operation of the standard gauge Urquiza Line commuter rail service in Buenos Aires,...
, in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina. It runs from the Federico Lacroze terminus
Estación Federico Lacroze
Federico Lacroze railway station is a passenger railway terminus in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The station is located in the city's outlying barrio of Chacarita in a predominantly residential area. It is just a short distance north of the Cementerio de la Chacarita, the city's largest cemetery...
in the barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
of Chacarita
Chacarita
Chacarita is a barrio or district in the north-central part of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Located between Colegiales, Palermo, Villa Crespo, La Paternal and Villa Ortúzar, this is a quiet neighbourhood with tree-lined streets, a combination of vintage rowhouses and apartment buildings...
, to General Lemos terminus, Campo de Mayo
Campo de Mayo
Campo de Mayo is a military base located in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina, northwest of Buenos Aires.Campo de Mayo covers an area of and is one of the most important military bases in Argentina, including Argentine Army's:...
in Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...
. The line is completely at grade (ground-level) and uses third rail current collection and, at present, is used by an average of 75,400 passengers daily and operates 20 hours a day, 7 days a week at 8 to 30 minute intervals.
In earlier times the line was planned to run into the centre of Buenos Aires through a long tunnel. But when the tunnel was finally built in 1930, it ended up as the B line subway, so that suburban passengers had to change at Federico Lacroze, named after its builder, about 6 km (3.7 mi) from the centre.
See also
- List of Buenos Aires metro stations
- List of metro systems
- List of rapid transit systems
- Metro systems by annual passenger ridesMetro systems by annual passenger ridesThe most-used metro systems in terms of passenger rides per year:# Tokyo Subway 3.161 billion # Moscow Metro 2.348 billion # Seoul Subway 2.048 billion...